


Coming Home

by elceri



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Post-Azkaban, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-25
Updated: 2012-11-25
Packaged: 2017-11-19 12:50:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/573448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elceri/pseuds/elceri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Remus is running late, and he doesn't know what to expect when he gets home. Set after <em>Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban</em>.</p><p>
  <em>Earlier, when Remus realized that the grocer had given him rotten eggs, Sirius had offered to go back in dog form and bite him. Remus could only imagine what Sirius might be considering doing to his editor for keeping him in a meeting too long.</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

> First written in July 2004 under a different pseudonym that I can no longer use. The work is mine, and if there are questions, please contact me.

Six thirty.

"Good grief, six thirty," Remus muttered as he hurried along the cobblestone street, a sheaf of parchment tucked beneath his arm and charmed to look like a bundle of newspapers. "Where did the time go?"

The leaves rustled above and a low rumble of thunder heralded the coming of a storm, and Remus struggled to race it home. "Good thing I did the grocery shopping earlier today." Remus was used to talking to himself -- living the solitary life that he had for the past fourteen years, he was usually his only company. He exchanged a word or two at times with the understanding witch who leased him the basement of her millinery, and of course these bi-monthly meetings with the editor of the Journal for the Study of the Dark Arts, for which he was a contributing writer. Usually, however, the meetings did not last longer than an hour, and that is what worried Remus.

For since he had returned from Hogwarts nearly a week before, he had acquired a new roommate. His company was certainly not unwelcome, but Remus had been wary to leave him alone for too long.

"Please, Sirius, just say you've stayed inside," Remus prayed under his breath, hoping that when he hadn't come home at four as promised, that Sirius hadn't set out to find him. He knew Sirius was highly suspicious and protective, and he felt helpless that he could do little to help Harry or Remus with their problems, both mundane and otherwise. Earlier, when Remus realized that the grocer had given him rotten eggs, Sirius had offered to go back in dog form and bite him. Remus could only imagine what Sirius might be considering doing to his editor for keeping him in a meeting too long.

As he approached the millinery, he could see a light flickering through the hazy basement window and his stomach sank. Practicing spells? Setting fires? Remus knew they couldn't stay here much longer, or else they might draw attention to themselves, but at the moment he was simply hoping his home was still in one piece.

"Moony? That you?" A voice called as he descended the creaky wooden stairs.

"Yes, it's me. Keep quiet! What are you--" Remus scowled when he tried to push open the door and it wouldn't budge. "Sirius!"

"Just a moment!"

"Just a-- Sirius, I'm tired, let me come in! Just out of Azkaban and already you're playing pranks?"

"It's not a prank, damn you, now stop being so testy!" Sirius's voice had an edge of glee to it, and Remus wasn't sure whether to be heartened or more afraid.

After a moment, the door swung open, and Remus gasped. Four candles hovered wobbily at the corners of the wooden table that sat in the room that served as a living and dining room. The table was covered with a cloth that looked like a cloak, and on the table sat a white crumbly substance in a bowl, an orange pureed item in another bowl, and a giant platter of peas, along with two mismatched goblets of pumpkin juice.

"Sirius?" Remus felt taken aback. After expecting to see his home in ashes, this was almost an equal shock.

"I got bored," he replied with a bit of a sheepish shrug.

"What," Remus leaned over, taking a sniff at the orange dish. "What is it?"

"Well, my cooking spells aren't what they used to be, I guess." Sirius scratched the back of his neck. "I was going to make split pea soup, your favorite. Or it was your favorite," Sirius raised an eyebrow at Remus.

"You remember that?"

"New things come back to me every day," Sirius said with a slight smile, almost smug. "I guess the cooking spells aren't one of them yet, however." His face fell.

Remus chuckled. "So we've ended up with split potatoes, mashed carrots, and a platter of peas," he said, surveying the table.

"Never did figure out what happened to that ham," Sirius muttered, dodging a look from Remus, who tried his best to look cross and was failing more miserably by the moment. "But the pumpkin juice is excellent!"

"Got it out of a jug, did you?" Remus picked up the goblet and took a long drink, and wrapped his arm around Sirius's waist, giving it a fond squeeze. "You never were a good cook, Padfoot."

"Left it up to you, I did." Sirius laid his head tiredly against Remus's with a chuckle. "Takes a lot out of a man."

"As well you still should," Remus replied. "I suppose I'll have to go back to the grocery again tomorrow?" Sirius gave a little nod. Remus finished off his juice and set to fixing the vegetables into a bit more palatable form. "I promise I'll not take all day this time. I didn't expect my editor to keep me so long."

"You've got to live your life, Moony," Sirius followed him into the cramped kitchen and leaned against the wall to watch him as he began to heat some chicken stock in a large pot on the stove, a spoon stirring it constantly as he measured and added herbs. "I just felt useless sitting around here in your home, with your food, waiting for you," he trailed off.

Remus turned around incredulously. "Do you even know what it means to me just to have you here, Sirius? To be able to see you sitting around in my home, eating my food? I know you hate being useless, you always have, but that's our lot in life right now. Something will come up. Something always comes up. But until it does, as hard as it is for you, you've got to let me take care of you." Remus reached over and touched Sirius's freshly shaven cheek. "Like you used to take care of me. It's my turn now."

Sirius smiled a little and patted Remus's hand. "I never cooked for you, or mended your clothes for you, or helped you remember a simple shaving spell."

"No," Remus nodded and flicked his wand to add the vegetables to the pot. "You were by my side when nobody else would be. You convinced James to help you become an animagus. You stood up for me when nobody else would. You gave up everything because your mum didn't like the kind of people you hung around. My kind."

Sirius looked down, and after a long silence, muttered. "That was a long time ago."

Remus crouched down, touching his forehead to Sirius's. "And do you think I would be here now if you hadn't done those things a long time ago?" Sirius did not answer, but he raised his head, his forehead still touching Remus's, gazing into his eyes. The hurt and the lingering emptiness that Remus saw there swirling with anger and frustration made him want to weep at the unfairness of it all. "You still have your strength," Remus murmured, feeling the warmth of his own breath reflected from Sirius's skin. "Your honor, your unwillingness to give in, that beautiful, maddening stubbornness and refusal to settle for second best." He closed his eyes, and felt Sirius's mouth curve into a bit of a smile before it pressed to his in a sudden, desperate kiss.

Taken by surprise, Remus stiffened for a moment, but then he wrapped his arms around Sirius's shoulders and returned the kiss, memories of waking up the first night after a full moon began to wane and feeling the same warm reassurance that he was human after all and that he was still loved coursing through him. He tightened his arms around Sirius and deepened the kiss, wanting to give that feeling back to Sirius.

The click of the gas stove turning down to simmer drew Remus from the kiss, his senses in a riot after his libido having lay dormant for over a decade. "Still plenty for both of us to do, I think," he said shakily as he slid his hands down Sirius's arms then lightly squeezed his hands.

Sirius chuckled and licked his lips. "Yes, I think I've got my work cut out for me. Planning on being late again tomorrow?" He raised an eyebrow with a gleam of mischievous intent in his eyes.

"Late?" Remus grinned as he spirited some soup into bowls and out onto the table. "I don't have any intention of going out at all. I believe there are more urgent matters at home."


End file.
